What makes a clean bathroom even more appealing? Glass Shower Doors! But the question remains…
Framed or Frameless?
They are both great choices, yet both have varying pros and cons. This is why it is imperative to know everything you can about what glass shower door you really want before you fix them inside your bathroom.
Pros and Cons of Framed Glass Shower Doors
Pros
Framed glass shower doors usually have a solid aluminum frame around their edges. If you think it’s high time you take off those shower curtains and replace them with something fancy, framed glass shower doors might be your best bet. The reason is they are cleaner and look great in any bathroom.
- The tempered glass that is used for glass shower doors breaks into tiny circles if something were to go wrong. This runs the risk of someone getting hurt by stepping on shards. The aluminum frame around these glass shower doors further ensures the steadiness of the door and leads to a lower risk of shattering.
- The installation of framed glass shower doors is fairly easy. All you have to do is hang up the frame. They usually can fit into any kind of shower material as well and are highly adaptable to the size of the shower tray.
- Framed glass shower doors have a watertight design. In other words, they have a track to trap shower water, a layer of caulk (material that is used to seal seams or joints to prevent leakage), and a metal frame that will prevent leakage.
- They come in a variety of colors and designs to match your bathroom’s overall theme. For instance, you can choose bronze/brass and black shower frames that are a huge hit nowadays. You can install sliding framed glass doors as well.
- When you install a framed glass shower door, you pay 10% to 15% less money than for a frameless one. Moreover, framed glass shower doors use thinner tempered glass compared to frameless glass doors which will save you some money as well.
Cons
- The limited range of motion of framed glass shower doors can be frustrating. When they are only opening outward, there could be a risk of an injury.
- As mentioned above, framed glass shower doors are metal. So, the frame tends to corrode in the long run due to excessive moisture, soap scum, and water droplets. This will grow mildew around the shower frame as well.
- Although there are new designs available for framed glass shower doors, once they are installed, they could look a bit out-dated. That is why many customers opt for frameless instead of framed.
- It is difficult to clean around the frame because of bulky material covering the corners. On top of that, if you have a sliding framed glass shower door, it is almost impossible to clean the glass between the sliding parts.
Pros and Cons of Frameless Glass Shower Doors
Pros
Frameless glass shower doors look trendier with sturdy tempered glass. They look cleaner and don’t need metal support to stay upright.
- They are stylish and have a pre-eminent modern appearance. They make bathrooms look much bigger. Frameless glass shower doors will match your bathroom theme regardless of the color or design. Also, they won’t look out-dated no matter how long they stay in your bathroom as long as they are squeaky clean.
- If you have stonework or marble tiles in your bathroom, frameless glass shower doors can highlight them further. You cannot achieve this contrast either with shower curtains or framed glass shower doors.
- Frameless glass shower doors come in a couple different styles. Likewise, if you prefer, you could add metal hinges or handles to your glass doors. Another option is to have semi-frameless shower doors that come with metal enclosures either on the top or around the sides of the doors.
- Their range of motion is quite impressive. These doors hinge both inward and outward making it easier to manage space.
- Unlike framed glass shower doors, these are way easier to clean because of the lack of gunk collected on the glass. With proper and regular cleaning, the doors can be sparkly for a long time.
- You can easily replace the parts of the frameless shower doors compared to framed ones. If you prefer you can buy parts from different manufacturers. On the other hand, if you want to replace framed doors, you should contact the original manufacturer.
Downsides
- These are pricier than the framed glass shower doors. The thicker glass panels (6 mm or 8 mm) in these doors are safer yet costly.
- These don’t offer much stability as the framed glass shower doors do.
- Frameless glass shower doors should be designed and installed by a professional. Even the slightest error in dimensions can prevent the doors from fitting the shower space.
The glass panels should be exactly the right size because the later adjustments aren’t feasible. For example, if the shower tray, walls, or the floor aren’t squared, cutting the glass can be even difficult and should be done with extra care.
The Bottom line
As you can see, both framed glass shower doors and frameless glass shower doors are extremely beneficial for your bathroom. However, both of these have pros and cons you shouldn’t overlook.
No matter what your verdict is, make sure it meets your preferences and necessities. If you are in the Salt Lake area and would like more information, please reach out to us HERE today! We look forward to working with you!
